Social Media Giveaways: 10 Ideas for the Best Social Promotions

Social media giveaways remain one of the best ways to capture customer attention and increase engagement – particularly in this age of multiple social networks and growing acceptance of mobile social media. If your marketing efforts are feeling a little stale or not bringing in the response you want, use these ideas for maximum impact! Just keep in mind – all giveaways and contests must follow the rules of whatever social network that you choose to use. Get ready to inspire through contests like:

1. Best Product Photo: The best product photo contest is one of the easiest social contests, but remains highly effective. Have customers take pictures of a product in various scenarios, and allow other customers to vote for their favorite photos. Showcase the photos either through a social media app or on your business website, offering an easy upvote option. Choose one or several winners and publish their work.

2. Speed Tagging Contests: Speed tagging works with the photo tagging option such as Facebook uses, where people can tag and label specific elements in a photograph. A business publishes a picture on social media channels and then awards a certain number of prizes based the first people to tag the photo with a particular phrase or answer.

3. Scavenger Hunts: Scavenger hunts send fans out searching for specific objects or actions around town. The first fans to take photos of the required items and turn them into the business, either in person or through social media, win the big prize. The more the items are connected with the brand, the better.

4. Hashtag Giveaways: Hashtag giveaways come in many different forms. At the most basic level, a business asks followers to Tweet with a particular hashtag, then uses Twitters more analytical functions to separate those Tweets and award prizes based on content, reTweets, raffles, and other systems.

5. Video Contests: Video contests are similar to photo contests, but require much more effort on the part of fans and are much more involved. Make the contest longer and the prizes bigger for this option. It works especially well for fan-created commercials.

6. Website Raffles: Website raffles ask fans to follow a link from social media to the company website, where they can enter specific information to see if they win a raffle. Forms vary – HotelPlanner ran a raffle with a code that changed each day. When the last digits of the code matched a customer zip code, that customer could quickly book a hotel and win $500. Only the first few customers fast enough won the prize.

7. Alternative Photo Contests: Product photo contests are often successful, but businesses can easily branch out. Nature photo contests, local event photo contests, topic-related photo contests…all are possible. Companies can also run giveaways for local charities or specific events, if appropriate.

8. Old-Fashioned Entry Forms – Through Social Media: Entry forms can be used for raffles and similar contests, but are especially handy when transformed into a social media campaign. Customers are encouraged to follow the link, which takes them to a form that can be filled out in minutes for a chance at the big prize.

9. Digital Game Contests: For a more complex form of a contest, businesses can create their own flash game and host in through a social media app. Several companies have successfully run these contests in the past. Customers that get the best time or score in the game win the prize.

10. Find the Hidden Object: This contest is similar to a scavenger hunt, but customers search for one specific object, such as a brand mascot or similar brand-related item. Customers that take and post the first photo to a fan page – or tag it correctly – wins the prize. This can also work well with QR codes.